Perry State Forest: hunting and access
Perry State Forest is 4,781 acres on ODNR's hunting map in Perry County, next to New Lexington, listed by ODNR as open to hunting. Hunters checked 2,989 deer in Perry County in 2025-26.
Data updated October 2026. Area facts: ODNR's ODNR area open to hunting data, read 2026-10. Harvest: Division of Wildlife harvest reports, 2021-22 to 2025-26.
Land on ODNR's hunting mapMetro parks, county and city landLand trusts and other open landPerry State ForestCounty lineLakeHighway
| Size | 4,781 acres in 3 pieces |
|---|---|
| County | Perry County |
| Deer harvest unit | Perry County |
| Hunting (ODNR) | Open |
| Kind (ODNR) | forest |
| Managed by | the Division of Forestry |
| Held by ODNR as | owned land |
| Nearest towns | New Lexington (next to it), Crooksville (4 mi) and Somerset (4 mi) |
What are the rules on Perry State Forest?
ODNR's land layer lists the area as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons and rules.
ODNR's hunting map for the area shows the boundaries, parking and any no-hunting zones.
Deer bag limits in Ohio are set by county; the Division's 2026-27 season list points to the bag limit map.
How many deer are taken around Perry State Forest?
Perry State Forest lies in Perry County. Hunters checked 2,989 deer in Perry County in 2025-26, against 3,179 in 2024-25.
| County | Perry State Forest acres in it | Deer, 2025 | Deer, 2024 | Deer, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Perry County | 4,781 | 2,989 | 3,179 | 2,804 |
Harvest for the whole county, not the hunting area alone: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
How do you get to Perry State Forest?
Nearest towns: New Lexington (next to it), Crooksville (4 miles), Somerset (4 miles) and Junction City (4 miles). Highways within 5 miles: OH 93, OH 13, OH 668, OH 669 and OH 37.
What other public land is near Perry State Forest?
ODNR areas open to hunting within 10 miles:
- Clouse Lake Wildlife Area: 96 acres, 2.6 miles away
- Twin Churches Lake Public Hunting Area: 72 acres, 6.4 miles away
- Flagdale Lake Public Hunting Area: 132 acres, 7 miles away
- Rush Creek Lake Public Hunting and Fishing Areas: 1,015 acres, 7.3 miles away
- West Blue Rock State Forest: 675 acres, 8.6 miles away
Public land within 3 miles of Perry State Forest
Counting Perry State Forest itself, 6,282 of the 50,849 acres within 3 miles of its boundary are public land open to the public (12.4%), by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries.
| Manager | Acres within 3 miles |
|---|---|
| Land on ODNR's hunting map | 4,824 |
| Land trusts and other open land | 1,352 |
| Metro parks, county and city land | 102 |
| Other state land | 4 |
Questions hunters ask
Where is Perry State Forest?
In Perry County, next to New Lexington.
Can you hunt on Perry State Forest?
Yes. ODNR's layer lists it as open to hunting under Ohio's statewide seasons.
How much public land is around Perry State Forest?
6,282 acres within 3 miles of its boundary, Perry State Forest included, by USGS PAD-US 4.1 and ODNR's land boundaries. The closest other ODNR area open to hunting is Clouse Lake Wildlife Area (2.6 miles).
Get a Ohio hunt plan when they open
Hunt plans for Ohio are coming. Join the list and you'll hear first. The first 50 hunters in each new state get their plan free.
Until then, the free FilledTag app for iPhone has a map that works in every state, Ohio included.
Where these facts come from
- Area description, species, rules and directions: ODNR, Perry State Forest; ODNR lands hunting status.
- Boundary and acres: ODNR's map layer above. Surrounding public land: USGS PAD-US 4.1 (fee land open to the public) and ODNR's land boundaries with hunting status.
- Deer harvest: the Division of Wildlife's 2025-26, 2024-25 and 2023-24 final deer harvest reports and Publication 5304 (2021-22).
FilledTag is not part of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife. Check ODNR's rules and posted signs before you go.